One Player, Two Teams by Marc “Razz” Rasbury

When the Knicks signed Amar’e Stoudemire back in July to that five year 100 million
dollar contract many saw this as an act of desperation after LeBron bolted to Miami. The
Suns were not willing to match the offer and wished the 6’-10” powered forward the best.

Well two months into the season, the Knicks signing looks like a bargain and the Suns
look like they truly miss The Kid.

It is amazing what the addition and/or subtraction of one player means to two different
organizations. For the last six years the Knicks were a farce. This has become a distant
memory since Amar’e has donned the blue and orange. The electricity has returned to the
Garden. Not only has he set a record for the most consecutive 25 plus point games but
he also leads the League in 4 quarter scoring. This means that not only is he scoring a
lot but he is doing it down the stretch when the team needs it the most. Team President
Donnie Walsh has added some nice pieces to compliment Stoudemire, but the teams
success is centered on the play of the big fella. The Suns on the other hand must be
rethinking their decision to let Stoudemire go.

This was apparent during Amar’e’s return to Phoenix last Friday. The two clubs are
heading in opposite directions. The Knicks are on the rise while the Suns are on the
decline. Without Amar’e, the Suns have transitioned to the rebuilding mode. They traded
Clint Richardson for Vince Carter but they still look lost. It is getting to the point where
they are even shopping Nash. Last year they were in the Western Conference Finals. This
year, they will be lucky to even make the playoffs.

Even with Steve Nash, they appear to be a bunch of nomads. They have no inside game
to speak of. Nash is looking for someone to pass to but there isn’t anyone there. It is
amazing how the departure of one key component can have such adverse effect on a
franchise. Amar’e leaving the Suns is Exhibit A.

The Suns offered Stoudemire the same amount of money, but the Knicks guaranteed 30
million dollars more than Phoenix did. That is why Amar’e is wearing a Knicks’ uniform
today. Signing Amar’e to a lengthy contract was a gamble especially with his chronic
knee problems. But he has not shown any signs of wear and tear thus far. If his knees can
hold up for the next four years, then that contract he signed this past summer would be
the deal of the century.

After the decade that Knicks have gone through, they had to make a bold move and
gamble. That gamble was Amar’e’s five year 100 million dollar contract. Time will tell
if it will pay dividends. Thus far the returns look good. I know the Suns wished that they
had reinvested in Amar’e this past summer.

About Derrel Johnson

Derrel Jazz Johnson is a sports and entertainment journalist and co-founder of CitySportsReport.com as well as a weekly columnist to New York Beacon as well as a frequent contributor to RollingOut.com, The Harlem Times and more. Derrel is a proud Harlemite who was born and raised in New York, and is an accomplished musician, poet, and huge sports fan.